Eternal Flame Wrapped in Ice
by Rhov
Summary: Between flames and frost, can any romance survive? When it seems like Gray is about to break up with Natsu, the dragon slayer becomes determined to prove that fire and ice can be together. But Gray has a special surprise of his own. Gratsu Week - Day 6.


_A/N: This was written for Gratsu Week going on from July 30th to August 6th. Come drop by and see all the cool fanart._  
**gratsu-week. deviantart com**_  
_**gratsu-week. tumblr com**

_Day 6 - Theme: Propose_

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**Eternal Flame Wrapped in Ice**

a _Fairy Tail_ fanfic

by Rhov

Natsu walked to the river where, in the past, he and Gray had fought one another many times. There he saw the silhouette he knew well...his raven-haired lover. Seeing Gray standing there, waiting for him, with his arms folded over his naked chest, made Natsu want to cry. He had to pause on the top of the river bank, looking down at the shore bathed in the crimson glow of sunset, and swallow back his emotions.

They had not been to this location in over a year. Not since, much to the guild's surprise, the two who had been rivals came out as lovers. On that day, it was Gray who said "Let's never call one another to this river again unless we plan to change the relationship we have now."

Natsu took that to mean breaking up. This river represented a past of strife. They were walking hand-in-hand into a future of love.

Or so he thought.

So when that morning, Gray stomped into the guild, marched up to Natsu and yelled, "Hey, flame-brain! You, me, by the river. Sunset," then stormed out, it took the Fire Dragon Slayer by shock.

Gray...was breaking up with him!

He left the partying at the guild and asked Happy to stay away. Then Natsu went home and sobbed. It had been over a year. He thought things were going good with Gray. Sure, they bickered all the time, they challenged one another to fights, and they were always complaining about how hot or cold one another kept their homes. But Gray was an attentive boyfriend. He had a surprising romantic side to him that always made Natsu blush. In return, Natsu gave Gray the sort of fiery passion only a Dragon Slayer could show. Maybe they were not into flowers and chocolates like normal lovers, but in bed there was no beating the steamy outcome of when fire and ice collided.

Natsu spent that afternoon flipping through a photo album. Some of the pictures were from before they began dating, pictures with the team, Lucy grinning with a peace sign, Erza gazing on calmly like a brave older sister, Happy flying around cheerfully, while Gray and Natsu glared at one another in spiteful rivalry. Then a picture Natsu had taken at a fair, Gray looked shocked at being pulled in, and he was in the middle of yelling at Natsu when the camera snapped, capturing his comical blushing face. Under that photo, Natsu had written, "The day he asked me out."

Natsu wiped a tear as he remembered that day. Yes, it had been Gray to confess, mumbling and looking ashamed at telling another guy, a teammate, his frigging _rival_, that he had fallen in love. To be honest, Natsu thought it was a joke, until he smelled the fear in Gray's body. Fear...meant it was not a hoax. Natsu reciprocated by yanking Gray in and kissing him hard.

He never told Gray that it had also been his first kiss.

Flipping a page, he next saw pictures of them together, less of the team, although they still did many missions together. He even had a painting Reedus had made of Natsu asleep against Gray, with the ice mage's white coat wrapped around the snoring Dragon Slayer and a gentle smile on Gray's face as he stroked back some of the pink hair.

Natsu sobbed as he thought about that year of bliss. When had things gone bad? When did Gray stop loving him?

Was it because they were both guys?

Maybe Gray wanted a wife, kids, a family...things Natsu could not give him. Natsu wanted to adopt children, just as he had been adopted, but Gray lost his family. Maybe he wanted children of his own.

Or was there someone else?

Natsu refused to imagine that Gray was cheating on him. But what was the problem? Had they argued recently? Well, he insulted the way Gray made scrambled eggs the last time he stayed the night. But that was such a minor thing, and the sex the night before had been awesome.

Or...was the sex bad? Did he no longer satisfy Gray? Did the ice mage crave something more?

What was it? Why was Gray going to break up with him? Why at sunset?

The hours dragged on with fears, sadness, and painful memories of happy times. He realized, he did not tell Gray that he loved him nearly enough. It was an embarrassing thing to say, and he figured Gray knew anyway.

Or did he?

Did he need to hear it?

Had Natsu neglected him by not telling him directly?

Worries, doubts, regrets...they all piled up until finally Natsu could not stand it anymore. He fled the house with its memories. Enraged, ready to fight for his love, he marched to the riverbank.

And there he was.

A silhouette smoking a cigarette.

Natsu looked down at Gray sitting under a tree by the river. His heart surged. He had not felt this depth of love since the first day they made love. After that day, things settled down between them. The sexual tension eased. Once two people reached that point, there were no secrets, no mysteries. Two souls had joined, and their whole relationship changed.

Was that the problem? Had they settled too much? Were they too domesticated? Did Gray want something wilder, fresher, a lover who was still a fun mystery to sort out?

Natsu shook his head. They still...experimented. It wasn't like sex was just a routine thing to do. There were endless positions to try, toys to test, subtle ways to please each other. How could Gray have grown bored when sex was never the same way twice?

There was nothing left to do but walk down there, face his lover, and hear the excuses.

They had promised not to come to this place again—this river that symbolized their rivalry—unless they were going to change their relationship. Natsu didn't want it to change! He liked how they were. Having Gray as his boyfriend was a dream come true. He decided he would fight to keep Gray. If the bastard thought he could toss his boyfriend aside after a year, he had another thing coming!

As he slid down the muddy bank, Gray jolted and looked over. His face paled slightly at the sight of the Dragon Slayer, and he swallowed thickly as he crushed the cigarette under his shoe. Natsu smelled fear, and it made his skin prickle.

"You're early," Gray muttered.

"Making it this late in the day is annoying," Natsu grumbled. "Besides, you were already here, so who cares if I'm early! Why the wait, anyway?"

"I...wasn't totally ready," Gray muttered. "I wanted you to have a warning, too." Gray turned to look out at the river. "It's been a long time since we came here. Over a year. Do you remember what we said about this place?"

"We'd never visit it," Natsu said, glaring as he waited for the emotional blow.

"Unless we want our relationship...to change." Gray's brows tensed. "You've probably been thinking about that all day, right?"

Natsu said nothing. He feared that if he spoke too much, he just might cry.

"I can tell. Your eyes are still pink," Gray said softly. "I wanted you to have time...to think...to prepare your heart...before I said anything that might hurt you." Finally, Gray looked over to him, and his eyes drooped apologetically. "So before I say what I want to say...what have you decided? How will you react...if I want to...to no longer have this sort of relationship?"

"If you plan to break up with me," Natsu glared, "you can forget it!"

Gray gulped and watched cautiously. "Then you're gonna be a stubborn ass about this, huh? You won't let me go?"

"Hell no!" Natsu stomped right up into Gray's face. "If you think you can just run away and break my heart, you're gonna find out that Dragon Slayers are not that petty with their emotions."

"Even if I want to go?" Gray asked. "If I ask to be released?"

Natsu felt his throat choking up with sobs he dared not let loose. "Screw what you want!" he bellowed. "You're my mate, Gray! Remember that day...that day I claimed you. I said I'd be with you all my life. I meant it! I'm not letting you go. I won't let anyone steal you, or hurt you, or shame you, and I won't let you do something stupid that'll only hurt you."

"So you think me leaving you will hurt me?"

"Yes! We have a good thing going. Why..." A tear finally dripped out. "Why do you want to change that, Gray?" he screamed.

Gray turned his back to Natsu. "Change is inevitable in love."

"Change it back!" he roared.

"I...can't. I don't feel the same way as I did back then. Hearts can change, Natsu."

"Screw that!"

Gray glanced over his shoulder. "What are you gonna do? Fight me? Like the old days?"

Natsu's fists tightened. "If it can force you to stay, then yes. I'll fight you. I'll punch you out, drag you home, tie you up, and ravage you until you forget all about leaving me."

"You'd fight to keep me? You'd even fight me if I want to leave? Then how about this? A battle for my heart."

"Now you're talkin'!"

"We each take a swing, one at a time. Whoever falls to their knees first loses."

"If I win, you give me one more year," Natsu declared. "None of this bullcrap about breaking up."

"And if I win, our relationship as it is now...is over."

That stung Natsu's heart. To think that Gray would want to leave him... No! He refused!

Did he have a right to force Gray to love him? Not really, but Natsu was too stubborn to simply let him go. Besides, it was Gray who offered this battle of fists.

"I won't go easy," Natsu sneered, cracking his knuckles. "I'll _make_ you mine!" Then his fist pulled back all the way behind him. "Fire Dragon's..."

Before he could release the tension, Gray dropped to his knee. Natsu was left slightly off balance.

"Whuh?"

"I fell to my knees," Gray smiled. "I lose."

Natsu's fist and flames both lowered. "What the..."

"But I still want our relationship to change."

"No!" Natsu shouted.

"What if I bribe you?" Gray reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a tiny box. Then he opened it, revealing a ring of ice that glowed golden with flames.

"The Eternal Flame of the giants," Natsu gasped. "From that village...but...how...?"

"A special ice which cannot melt. A special flame that cannot be doused." Gray raised the ring up to Natsu. "Fire and ice _can_ coexist. We prove it. Even if you burn me, and even if I'm sometimes cold, I can't imagine winter without the joy of summer. Please Natsu...will you be my husband?"

Natsu stared, his mouth dropped, knees shaking in emotions. "Gray...you..."

Gray smiled tenderly, but he also looked anxious. "Will you marry me?" he whispered hopefully.

"You... This..." Natsu's hand rose to his mouth, shaking as his whole body trembling. "You...you... **GODDAMN ****BASTARD!**"

He suddenly punched Gray in the face.

"You made me think you were breaking up with me," he screamed.

Gray rubbed out his cheek. Okay, maybe he deserved that. "It was a test. I wanted you to think long and hard about this relationship. I wanted to see if you'd just let me go. I...I wasn't confident enough to ask you normally. You suck at expressing your feelings, Natsu," he accused. "You're always so idiotically boisterous, I never know if you're unhappy. I needed some way to figure it out, and Mirajane suggested this."

"Mira? You told Mira you were thinking about proposing to me?" Natsu yelled.

"Well, yeah! I needed some opinions, advice, what sort of ring to get, where to ask you. I've never done this sort of thing, and I figured girls would have some good ideas, so I asked Mira and Lucy and Erza and..."

"You asked all around the guild?" Natsu shouted. "Dammit! Do you mean half the guild knows?"

Gray looked aside. "No...more like everyone. Erza...sort of shouted when I told her."

"They all knew you were planning this?" Natsu gasped. "Was I the only one not told?"

"You and Happy, since Happy sucks at keeping secrets."

Natsu ran his hand through his hair. "Sheesh!"

"Well! What's your answer, flame-brain?" Gray demanded. "Yes or no? My knees hurt."

"Obviously it's yes!" Natsu snapped.

"Then shut the hell up and put the damn ring on!"

Natsu glared, fuming, flames flicking, but then he looked away stubbornly. "Idiot. You're supposed to put it on me." He flung his hand out for Gray.

The ice mage chuckled at his cutely annoying behavior. "You can't even accept a marriage proposal right, dumbass."

"Who pretends to break up just before proposing, stupid?"

Gray stood up, took the fire-and-ice ring out of its small box, and slipped it onto Natsu's finger.

"It's cold," Natsu grumbled, blushing as he looked at the eternal flame burning inside the frosty ring like a thousand diamonds and rubies.

"You'll always know it's there." Then Gray bent over and gave Natsu a kiss. "I love you, flaming retard."

"Love you too, pervy stripper."

They kissed again, long and passionately. All of Natsu's fears and anger melted away in a flood of bliss. His hands ran over Gray's bare back, and the ice mage yanked him closer, stabbing his tongue in, giving his hips a trust, and making Natsu moan. His fingers clutched into Natsu's pink hair, pulling it slightly, just hard enough to get the Dragon Slayer to groan. What a sexy sound!

Then suddenly, there was applause. Up on the top of the riverbank, all of Fairy Tail had followed them to spy on the two.

Cana called out, "Okay, everyone who bet that Natsu would punch him before accepting, come collect your winnings."

Natsu looked away in embarrassment. "Sheesh, they really did all know."

Happy flew forward happily. "Aye!"

Lucy ran up and hugged both of them. "I'm so happy. Lemme see the ring!"

Erza stepped up too. "I want to be a bridesmaid," she demanded.

Gray laughed lightly. "We don't have a bride."

"We'll dress Natsu up in a white dress."

Natsu snarled at that. "Hell no! Gray can be in the dress."

"I'll throw off any dress you put me in, moron."

"You'd throw off any clothes anyway, stripper."

The two began arguing again while Fairy Tail got ready to celebrate the union between fire and ice.


End file.
